The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1887-10-18

house as 1t now stands, and just about on a
level with the floor of the second story there is
hole in the weather boarding. The hole is
six inches across. 1t was made by a ball from
an American or French cannon on one of the
days of the siege, and tradition says that the
house was struck on the day Count Pulaski
was mortally wounded. That was on the
morning of October g 1879.
The house whic, IS now No. Is West Broad
stood at that time whore Trinity church now
stands, on the west side of Telfair place. 1t
belonged then to the Sheftall family, and was
probably built by one of the Shoftalls. The
houses age is not known, but it must be
nearly 100 years old. Mr.. A. Kent the wheel
wright and blacksmith does not remember
| positively how the house faced, but he thinks
1t fronted east. His grandfather bought it
and moved it TO where it now stands thirty
years or more ago The hole was never COW
cred, but was allowed to stand, a gaping SOU
| venir, as it were, of the revolutionary conflict
for colonial independence.
MIR. A. b. Kent once started to put on a new
piece OF Notwithstanding to hide the hole, but
his father, Mr.. Ezra Kent, stopped him, and it
has always remained intact, so to speak The
ball went clear through the wall, tearing and
crushing its path A piece of studding was
neatly cut in two The ball must have dropped
i'll the room, as there is no mark of it on the
opposite wall.
1t was midnight of October 5 when the bat
terieS OF the allies opened fire on the town of
Savannah and continued it for two hours when
they ceased until day break. Then the bonn
bardment was resumed with thirty-seyen guns
and number of mOrtars from the land side
and sixteen guns from the French frigate on
the river. The British batteries responded
and the cannonading was kept up at intervals
throughout the day without much damage to
the soldiers or works of either army. The fire
OF the allies was more disastrous and several
women and children and four negroes were
killed An old chronicer tells of young
mother with an infant i'll her arms who were
lying on the bed i'll a house i'll the central part
of the town when shell passed through and in
Its course killed both mother and child 1t is
more than likely that tho hole in Mr.. Kent's
house was made either ON that day or two days
afterwards. The fifth was passed in COMPARE
tive quiet, but on the sixth the besogers re-
newed the attack and their bombarding de-
! mOlished several houses and burnt one. Things
| were getting pretty warm for the British in
| side OF the city, and at IL o'clock in the day
| General Provost wrote as follows to Count
| d Estaing:
| CAMP SAVANNAH october G., 1-70-Sir: am per-
| suaded that your eXeeCncy will do me Justice;
and that in defending this place and the army COM
mitted to my charge, nlall what is due TO honor
| and duty to my prince. Sentiments OF different
kind occasion the liberty Of now addressing myself
| to your eXcellcncy; thty are those Of humanity
| The houses of Savannah are occupied solely by
| women andehildren. Several of them have applied
to me, that Knight request the favor you would al
low them to embark on board a ship or sh p, and
go down the river under protection of yours until
this business is decided. If this requision you are
| so good as to grant, my wife and children with
few servants, shall be the first to profit by this in
| diligence"
General Provost had refused to grant n
| similar request made by the allies some time
| before, and they refused to acoede to his re-
| quest.
Three Gays later Pulaski was wounded in
making an assault on Spring Hill, where the
| Central railroad depot now stands.
| SO far as known, Mr.. Kent's house is the
only one remaining that bears mark of the
siege. The wood in the house is all hewcd or
sawed with small hand saw, as there were
no large saws in this country at that day. The
| nails are all hand made and strong. The Pine
| has become so hard that it is almost impossible
! to drive nail into it, and it knocks the edge
right off of a saw.